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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. branch — a division
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bat — the animal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. pound — a weight
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. kick — in football
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com